A bookseller in Kent has gone viral after tweeting a picture of her empty shop. Here, other retailers explain how they are surviving – even thriving – when many people are counting every penny A vase of hydrangeas sits among a crop of the latest releases, including What Writers Read and Blake Morrison’s Two Sisters. There is a cosy rug and a bright window display. It looks like a lovely bookshop. What there aren’t, however, are any customers. “Winter is killing us, it’s soo quiet,” tweeted Sapphire Bates, the co-owner of Book Bodega in Ramsgate, Kent, on Saturday afternoon. “We need to make £8 ..read more

Brand focused on clothes for women in their 50s and older says it will fail without fundraising Nayna McIntosh believed she had spotted a gap in the market when she launched online retailer Hope Fashion in 2015: producing elegant, relaxed clothes for women in their 50s and older. After several decades working at some of the UK’s largest clothing retailers, McIntosh – who is now 60 – felt older women were being ignored by mainstream brands, despite often having more disposable income ..read more

Five years on from £1.76m crowdfunding, some feel misled after plans for destination venue unravelled along with the firm itself The collapse of a pioneering craft brewery has left a bitter taste among investors who crowdfunded almost £1.8m for a state-of-the-art venue that was never built. Wild Beer Co, based in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, wooed nearly 2,000 shareholders in 2017 with a pitch that promised a destination brewery, restaurant and “school of fermentation” on the nearby Bath & West showground ..read more

Money raised after wave of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities on Monday will be used to support army Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates What we know on day 231 of the invasion A crowdfunding appeal that was launched after Russian attacks on cities across the country on Monday has raised $9.6m (£8.7m) in 24 hours for the purchase of kamikaze drones for the Ukrainian armed forces. An initial 50 Ram II drones, unmanned aerial vehicles with a 3kg explosive payload, designed and built by Ukrainian companies, will be bought with the money, along with three control stations ..read more

Stars including Stephen Fry and Joe Lycett join forces to help campaigners fundraise for UK’s first community-run queer venue Comedians Stephen Fry and Joe Lycett and actor Mawaan Rizwan have joined in a race to raise tens of thousands of pounds to open the UK’s first community-run queer venue. Campaigners need to raise nearly £30,000 in the next four days to hit their £100,000 target and keep alive hopes of reviving the Joiners Arms, a famous east London gay institution ..read more

Special IT force of 30 soldiers on quad bikes is vital part of Ukraine’s defence, but forced to crowdfund for supplies One week into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia massed a 40-mile mechanised column in order to mount an overwhelming attack on Kyiv from the north. But the convoy of armoured vehicles and supply trucks ground to a halt within days, and the offensive failed, in significant part because of a series of night ambushes carried out by a team of 30 Ukrainian special forces and drone operators on quad bikes, according to a Ukrainian commander ..read more

The travel industry has moved quickly to support refugees from Ukraine and British holidaymakers can play a major role British holidaymakers eager to help the people of Ukraine are being urged to book with travel companies that are using their resources to support those fleeing the conflict. Dozens of transport providers, tour operators and accommodation websites have jumped into action. Eurostar is offering unlimited free tickets to Ukrainians travelling from any Eurostar station to the UK, while Wizz Air will provide 100,000 free seats on flights from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to any ..read more

Is it better to donate to established charities such as the Red Cross or to crowdfunding campaigns? And should you give money, or goods? Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing More than $13m has been donated to support those affected by the devastating floods in Queensland and New South Wales, and most of the money has been directed towards peer-to-peer fundraising efforts such as GoFundMe. Many of those crowdfunding campaigns have been set up by people living in the flooded regions to cover urgent costs and fund relief and rescue efforts, including more than $20,000 raised to ..read more

How did this ‘grassroots’ rebellion paralyse the Canadian capital? With funding from the far right and a boost from Facebook misinformation What the truck is going on in Canada? No offence to Ottawa, but it’s not the most exciting place in the world. Over the past couple of weeks, however, the Canadian capital has been embroiled in drama: hundreds of truckers, ostensibly protesting against vaccine mandates, have brought the city to a standstill. Members of the so-called “Freedom Truck Convoy” have been blaring horns, desecrating war memorials and setting off fireworks. Residents are being driv ..read more

GoFundMe blocked fundraising after Canadian city declared emergency over protests against vaccine mandates A trucker-led protest against vaccine mandates in Canada has raised several million dollars on a Christian crowdfunding site after being removed from GoFundMe, sparking debate over how online platforms moderate campaigns. GoFundMe blocked fundraising for the “Freedom Convoy” over the weekend, after the mayor of Ottawa declared a state of emergency over a week-long protest led by truck drivers over Covid-19 restrictions ..read more